Joey Coleman’s book Never Lose a Customer Again hit home. It’s one of those books that makes you pause and think, “Are we unintentionally making our customers feel ignored after they sign up?” (Spoiler: probably.)
Brokers, salespeople, and all companies obsess over acquiring new customers. But most of the time drop the ball immediately after the sale.
This challenged our thinking at CRE OneSource. We already say we do ‘white-glove onboarding and customer support’, but this book changed our perspective and forced us to think deeper. Do we wish we could have some new customer onboards back? Absolutely.
Below are The 8 Phases of the Customer Journey:
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Assess – “Should I work with them?”
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Admit – “I need help, and I think they can provide it.”
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Affirm – “Wait… did I make the right choice?” (Buyer’s remorse kicks in)
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Activate – First real interaction post-sale. This sets the tone.
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Acclimate – Teach them how to use your product. Guide them every step.
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Accomplish – Help them reach their first win. Celebrate it.
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Adopt – They take ownership. They want to use it. They feel proud.
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Advocate – They become your raving fan. Referrals, love, energy.
This book is written for primarily for software companies, but the takeaways can be applied to any business, including brokerage.
Below are a few questions for you to consider with your own customers:
- Do my prospects have a clear sense of what working with me will feel like after the deal closes?
- Am I showing that I care about their personal goals—not just the transaction?
- Do I celebrate their wins (even the small ones)?
- Am I honoring the emotional investment they just made in choosing me?
- What am I doing in the first 24 hours after a deal closes to affirm their decision?
- Am I proactively communicating, or waiting for them to reach out first?
- Am I proactively communicating, or waiting for them to reach out first?
- What am I doing to stay top of mind after the dust settles?
- Would my clients proudly refer me—and if not, why?
- Am I creating a client experience, or just closing deals?
Click here to download a 5-page PDF of my notes from the book!
Charlie Coppola
